Slack / Private Message Drop — page 733

breeding and sales 14. breeding and sales of pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, porcupines, and pangolins; 15. roe deer, Muntjac, civets, wild boars, bamboo rats, porcupines, colorful pheasants, blue peacocks, pangolins, breeding, sales 16. just pangolin, and tied to a case where trafficked pangolin were turned over to the company by forestry officials a couple years back *Processing of meat from mink, fox, raccoon dog, etc. in Hebei:* *https://www.google.com/maps/place/Changli+County,+Qinhuangdao,+Hebei,+China/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x358c93e 16cdb9c4d:0xe5f6376b0d6672f1?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjowuWzk5nwAhUHkZQKHQUpDRUQ8gEwFXoECC8 QAQ * https://www.163.com/news/article/F4O0EFEL0001899O.html In the past few days, many departments have issued announcements banning any form of wildlife trading. Many places are also quarantining places for raising and breeding wild animals. However, according to a reporter from China Business News, there are still loopholes in "refusing to eat game". Many people in the industry reported to CBN reporters that for *many years, wild animal flesh such as fox, mink, and raccoon meat from farms* has been sent to meat joint factories or small workshops to be processed into grilled sausages or ham sausages. In some professional journals, there are even expert guidance on how to process the meat of these wild animals into delicious foods and put them on the market. Secrets in the industry? *Changli County, Hebei Province* has nearly 30 years of fox, raccoon, and mink breeding foundation. The fur industry has become a local characteristic industry. The total amount of breeding has remained at about 8 million, accounting for one-tenth of the country. The total output of raccoon skin ranks first in the country. . *Changli County is also the country's largest leather trading center, with an annual trade of 15 million skins and 500,000 live skins, and an annual output value of 8 billion to 10 billion yuan. Changli County was once awarded the titles of "China Fur Industry Base" and "Hometown of Racoon Raising Dogs" by* the Specialty Products Society of the Chinese Agricultural Society. The entire county has formed a complete industrial chain of mink and raccoon breeding, breeding of fine breeds, feed and veterinary medicine, commerce, processing, and logistics. In an earlier interview with China Business News, a person in charge of a farm said: "Some people buy fur, and some people want meat, and send it to the meat joint factory." When the reporter asked further, the other party seemed a little nervous and just said, "This is Secrets known in the industry"." [2021-04-27 22:30:56] [Kristian Andersen] Some interesting stuff in there for sure - some a little more cooky... What's interesting about the mink farming - I asked George about that back in March/April, 2020 and he pretty much dismissed it out of hand, saying "those farms are not in Hubei, but much further away where they had no COVID". I wonder if that's really true - and clearly, there may be other farming as well. [2021-04-27 22:34:19] [Eddie Holmes] If that's their logic no wonder they've not found the origin [2021-04-28 04:47:42] [Robert Garry] Atlantic article - could have been worse - at least no mention of GVP. [2021-04-28 04:52:24] [Robert Garry] Farming the mink, raccoon dogs, etc, etc, etc - so many opportunities for spillover. Follow the animals... [2021-04-28 05:02:36] [Andrew Rambaut] I agree, Kristian, with Pooh being involved in the transmissibility - have thought it from the beginning - too much of a coincidence that B.1.1.7 had a FCS mutation (back when it was very rare). Now with all the other 681 mutations coming up (and 677 possibly). Certainly looks like B.1.351 is not as transmissible as B.1.1.7 and probably not P.1 either - they have not invaded